Starring Princess Shuyan of Nan Feng, Shuyan Saga™ is an adventure that blends visual novel storytelling with action-packed, click-based combat. This pay-to-play game is created by Lofty Sky Entertainment and can be enjoyed by players who want a casual dive into a kung fu game.

Shuyan Saga™ is primarily split into two aspects—the visual novel style of storytelling and the close-up one-on-one combat sequences. Its graphics are well-drawn albeit a bit inconsistent style-wise, especially the characters’ facial features, but the dialogue and the overall writing seem to lack depth. Controls are also difficult to understand at first and may feel erratic at times.

Great premise, flat execution

Following the attack on Nan Feng by the evil Ganbataar, the brave and rebellious Princess Shuyan takes it upon herself to embark on a journey to seek him out and defeat him. Much like any other visual novels, Shuyan Saga™ also employs events where the player must make a choice that will impact the story. However, this game’s entire plot is already pre-determined and no amount of decision-making will change its outcome.

As for its graphics, it comes with more than 1,400 beautifully hand-drawn panels. The comic parts of the game are well-executed, with rather slow, crawling dialogue that the player cannot fully skip. Shuyan’s dialogue is also voiced by Kristin Kreuk, adding a super layer of immersion to the story. On the other hand, the 3D combat parts are quite sloppy in execution, looking chunky and awkward when displaying movement.

At the same time, the overall story does not explore too much depth. What’s a potentially harrowing tale of a princess on her way to becoming a warrior is reduced to a typical good-versus-evil story. Only minor changes to the scenes are done when the player makes choices as they play, which don’t impact the plot significantly. Side characters are not fully fleshed out, as well, and the protagonist herself doesn’t undergo extreme character development.

See for yourself

While Shuyan Saga™ has a promising premise, it falls flat in terms of execution. Its artwork is exquisite but the dialogue and writing could use some polish. Not to mention that the characters’ potential for good development remained untapped. The controls are challenging to pick up, as well, especially for players who don’t have the patience to learn or just want a casual game to pass the time.